I live right in the middle of AVP country with two yearly tournaments, at Hermosa and Manhattan Beaches, about 20 minutes from my front door. And another down at Huntington Beach in Orange County. If you’re a single guy on the westside of L.A., you know to always circle the calendar when those events are in town, since the bars in those beach cities are packed with plenty of leggy beauties all weekend.

I’ve also been to the actual tournaments several times and never fail to scope sweet seats. They tell me the matches are highly competitive too.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell can always be counted on for bringing us insightful, hard-hitting news from the world of sports business, as you’re about to see. And while he’s usually leading the pack, Rovell is bringing up the rear today. Or, rather bringing us the rear:

Beach volleyball has basically given up on the notion that people are watching for the sport. I mean, it’s 2-on-2 volleyball. It’s just badminton with sand. So they’ve clearly decided which direction to go now that the game’s most recognizable duo, Misti May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, are out of the picture for the time being.